Look, it’s Fall!

I took a week off in Fredericton, hanging out with my friend Shirley. I washed all my gear and sewed some things back together. I resealed my tent seams in the backyard and made a big sticky mess of the whole deal. Lexi and I made some minibooks about sparkle unicorns and watched Elana of Avalor, the Latina Disney Princess cartoon. Fredericton is a nice town and it was a warm fall week and I was completely lazy. Getting back on the bike, I was actually sore for the first couple days.

I tried lining up some Warm Showers hosts on the way back south. I really tried but I’m just terrible at predicting where I’ll be. Just ask anyone who’s waited for me to show up.

I did sleep in a cemetery. That was sort of exciting. It’s been a vague goal of this trip. Did you know that the flags that people plant next to graves look very much like flappy ghosts when it gets dark out? That’s a thing I learned. I was extra worried about zombies that night but none showed up. I did leave early, just in case someone turned up and took offense to me sleeping on their grandparents’ graves. I was more behind the headstone, and I don’t know how often those relatives show up anymore. I on purpose picked the grave of people who died before my parents were born, so I wouldn’t have to think about rotting bodies too much.

Maine is beautiful in the fall. The fall colors are so incredible that they’re bordering on show-offy and ridiculous. I think this will be one of those states that I’ll feel like I didn’t get to see enough. Fall is super beautiful but I bet summer is something else. The campgrounds are all closing down for the season so it’s hard to find a shower. I have been finding some fun free camp spots. One night I was right on the coast, between two active boat piers, watching the full moon rise over the Atlantic. Another night I was hiding in a mossy lake front forest, watching a beaver paddle around in the moonlight. It’s getting chilly at night. I’m back to wearing all my clothes to bed, putting on the rainfly to keep in my body heat. Twice I’ve woken up to frost on my tent.

One morning a big orange fox crossed my path.